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Rent (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the title song from the musical of the same name, see Rent (musical).

"Rent"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Actually
B-side"I Want a Dog"
Released12 October 1987
GenreSynth-pop[1]
Length5:08 (album version)
3:35 (single version)
7:06 (extended version)
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Julian Mendelsohn
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?"
(1987) 		"Rent"
(1987) 		"Always on My Mind"
(1987)
Music video
"Rent" on YouTube

"Rent" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, Actually (1987). It was released as the album's third single on 12 October 1987.[2]

Background and recording

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"Rent" was written in 1984.[3] The song is about a transactional relationship between two people. According to lyricist Neil Tennant, the title was chosen for its association with rent boys with the intention of being provocative,[4] but the story he envisioned for the song was about a mistress of a powerful man.

I've always imagined it's about a kept woman, and I always imagined it set in America. I vaguely thought of one of the Kennedys, for some reason, and imagined that this politician keeps this woman in a smart flat in Manhattan, and he's still got this family, and the two of them have some sort of relationship and they do love each other but it's all kind of secret...[5]

The original inspiration for the music was the Italo disco song "I Like Chopin" by Gazebo. According to Chris Lowe, an earlier version of "Rent" was a Hi-NRG track, which they recorded with Bobby Orlando.[5] For the album version, producer Julian Mendelsohn decided that they already had enough uptempo songs for Actually, so keyboard programmer Andy Richards reduced the tempo by half.[6]

Release

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"Rent" was remixed in a shortened version by producer Stephen Hague for release as a single on 12 October 1987;[5] it reached number eight on the UK Singles Chart.[7] The song was not released as a single in the United States.

The photograph on the single sleeve (pictured) is of Tennant and Lowe on a train platform at King's Cross station, taken by Eric Watson.[8] The music video was also filmed in that location.[9]

Music video

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The video for the song was directed by Derek Jarman. It features two intercut storylines. One, filmed in black and white, shows Chris Lowe arriving at King's Cross station by train and walking past various low-life characters. The other, filmed in colour, features Margi Clarke as the partner of a wealthy man (played by Alexander Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath), who is hosting a dinner party. The lyrics are sung by Tennant, who plays her chauffeur. The woman becomes annoyed when the man pays her no attention. She then gets Tennant to drive her to King's Cross railway station where she embraces Lowe on the platform.[10]

Live performances

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Pet Shop Boys performed "Rent" on Sunday Night at the London Palladium on ITV on 11 October 1987, with Lowe wearing an Issey Miyake inflatable rubber jacket.[11][12] On their first tour in 1989 to Hong Kong, Japan, and the UK, "Rent" was staged with Tennant interacting with backing singer Juliet Roberts as the characters from the song.[13] During the Performance Tour in 1991, "Rent" was sung by ensemble members Sylvia Mason-James and Derek Green.[14][15] Subsequent tours have also featured "Rent", including Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live in 2022–2024.[16]

Track listing

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  • 7": Parlophone / R 6168 (UK)
  1. "Rent" – 3:35
  2. "I Want a Dog" – 4:57
  • 12": Parlophone / 12R 6168 (UK)
  1. "Rent" (Extended Mix) – 7:06
  2. "Rent" (Dub) – 6:06
  3. "I Want a Dog" – 4:57
  • also available on CD (Parlophone / CD R 6168)

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes for Actually: Further Listening 1987–1988[17] and "Rent".[18]

Pet Shop Boys

Additional personnel

Artwork

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Rent"
Chart (1987–1988) Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[19] 81
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 27
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 17
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[22] 11
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[23] 12
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 5
Italy (Musica e dischi)[25] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 23
Spain (AFYVE)[29] 21
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 19
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[32] 8
West Germany (GfK)[33] 10

Cover versions

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Liza Minnelli performed "Rent" on her 1989 album Results, which was produced by Pet Shop Boys and included additional songs written by them for her.[34][35]

"Rent" was covered by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine and was included as a B-side for their single "R.u.b.b.i.s.h", and was later included in their compilation album This is the Sound of an Electric Guitar.[36] The song is also featured as a live version by Suede, as a B-side on their single "Filmstar" (1997), with vocals by Neil Tennant.[37]

[edit]

The song plays during a karaoke scene in the 2023 film Saltburn.[38] Neil Tennant commented on the use of the song: "...we've had songs in these two films recently, Saltburn and All of Us Strangers, and that's given us a bit of attention. In Saltburn, they sing "Rent" and it's a karaoke scene, but it's actually part of the plot. That's very rare. The song makes such a sardonic point about his relationship, with the guy in the house.[9]

[edit]

Lyrics: Rent

References

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  1. ^ Edwards, Luke; Elliott, Mark (16 June 2023). "Best Pet Shop Boys Songs: 30 Synth-Pop Hits Always On Our Mind". Dig!. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  2. ^ Andy Strickland, ed. (10 October 1987). "Index". Record Mirror. p. 2. ISSN 0144-5804.
  3. ^ Tennant, Neil (2018). One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem: 1979–2016. London: Faber & Faber. p. 141. ISBN 9780571348916.
  4. ^ Deevoy, Adrian (January 1992). "Oh Mister Songwriters!". Q. p. 57. When we started, we would deliberately try to think up provocative, pointed titles. So Rent was a good word because of the association with the expression 'rent boy'.
  5. ^ a b c Heath, Chris (2018). Actually: Further Listening 1987–1988 (booklet). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone Records. p. 10. 0190295826222.
  6. ^ "Making of Pet Shop Boys - Actually". Classic Pop. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  7. ^ "Rent by Pet Shop Boys". Official Charts. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Eric Watson: Rent, King's Cross station, London". Artnet. 1987. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b Sheffield, Rob (4 May 2024). "The Pet Shop Boys Are Having a Renaissance. What Have They Done to Deserve This?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  10. ^ Montesinos-Donaghy, Daniel (7 February 2014). "'Queer Pagan Punk' Derek Jarman Was a Music Video Pioneer". Vice. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Smirk!" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 19. 7–20 October 1987. p. 4. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  12. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1991). Discography: The Complete Singles Collection (liner notes). Parlophone. CDPMTV 3.
  13. ^ Heath, Chris (2020a). Pet Shop Boys, Literally. London: William Heinemann. p. 27. ISBN 9781473575691.
  14. ^ Heath, Chris (2020b). Pet Shop Boys versus America. London: William Heinemann. pp. 31, 55. ISBN 9781473575684.
  15. ^ Jenkins, Mark (9 April 1991). "Pet Shop Boys". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  16. ^ Empire, Kitty (27 July 2024). "Pet Shop Boys review - still never being boring". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  17. ^ Pet Shop Boys (2018). Actually: Further Listening 1987–1988 (liner notes). Parlophone. 0190295826222.
  18. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1987). Rent (liner notes). Parlophone. R 6168.
  19. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 232. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  22. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 46. 21 November 1987. p. 14. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  23. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  24. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rent". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 30 May 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Pet Shop Boys" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  26. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Pet Shop Boys" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  27. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  29. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  30. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Rent". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  32. ^ "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Rent" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  34. ^ Kelly, Ben (7 September 2017). "25 Years On: When Liza Met the Pet Shop Boys". Attitude. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  35. ^ Kappes, John (9 January 2010). "Liza Minnelli's collaboration with Pet Shop Boys got 'Results': Rediscoveries". Cleveland.com. The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  36. ^ Ryan, Gary (19 August 2020). "Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's Jim Bob: 'Noel Gallagher still hates us'". NME. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  37. ^ "Film Star". petshopboys.co.uk. 1 August 1997. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  38. ^ Sharpe, Lynn (28 January 2024). "Farleigh & Oliver's Karaoke Scene Highlights The Deeper Meaning Of Their Roles In Saltburn's Twists". ScreenRant. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
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